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900 Works at Art Gallery of Ontario

By: Charles Giuliano - May 13th, 2019

The Art Gallery of Ontario owns 900 works by Henry Moore including large plasters for bronzes, maquettes, drawings and related materials. The 1,200 square foot gallery and its ancillary displays comprise the largest public collection of the artist's work. Simply put, it is one of the most magnificent experiences of 20th century sculpture on a global level.

A Thinking Cap Theatre Production

By: Aaron Krause - May 13th, 2019

The deceptively simple Madelein George play, Precious Little, is multi-layered, funny and thought provoking. A talking ape is a main character in George's strange, but relevant piece.
Precious Little is packed with big ideas and themes. A strong cast shines in this 90-minute, intermissionless, yet complex play. Let it grow on you.

Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience

By: Charles Giuliano - May 12th, 2019

The special exhibition "Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience" by the First Nations artist Kent Monkman is a game changer. With ferocious wit the artist deconstructs horrific aspects of Canadian history through a series of narrative, social realist paintings. We viewed the work at the McCord Museum in Montreal where the traveling exhibition closed on May 5.

Deconstructing Uncle Vanya for the Umpteenth Time

By: Victor Cordell - May 12th, 2019

Here we go again messing with Chekov. This time Aaron Posner has his way with the Russian master. Uncle Vanya is a comedy in the sense that it is full of pitiable, laughable characters in awkward situations, and nobody dies (but one almost does!). In Life Sucks, Posner makes the characters more ridiculous and more expressive to add energy and bolder humor. Vanya is shlepier. Aster is more passionate for his causes. Ella is a stronger magnet.

At San Francisco Playhouse

By: Victor Cordell - May 11th, 2019

The very title Significant Other is poignant and of our time. Its abstractness as a term contrasts with the more intimate traditional words it represents. The topic matter is also relevant and the treatment authentic.

Palm Canyon Theatre

By: Jack Lyons - May 11th, 2019

“The Diary of Anne Frank”, at the Palm Canyon Theatre (PCT) in Palm Springs, is a must-see production no matter wherever and/or whenever it is staged. It’s a poignantly dramatized play written 76 years ago by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, that unfortunately is very relevant today.

Sea Dog Theater Produces a Winner

By: Rachel de Aragon - May 09th, 2019

The Rare Biosphere, a new play by Chris Cragin Day presented by the Sea Dog Theater and directed by Christopher J Domig is a charming and poignant look at at the question of immigration. Through the lives of a very American adolescent lens we are confronted with realities which upset the norm-- and intensify choices

Collaboration of MFA and Boston Public Library

By: Charles Giuliano - Apr 26th, 2019

The special exhibition “Toulouse Lautrec and the Stars of Paris” is a collaboration of the Museum of Fine Arts and The Boston Public Library. Their great combined depth in prints and posters is supplemented with loans from other museums. In addition to his signature graphic works the exhibition is expanded with paintings, photographs, and sculptures by other impressionist and post impressionist artists.

Complete Schedule of Exhibitions, Festivals, and Events

By: MoCA - Apr 28th, 2019

On May 25, come for MASS MoCA’s 20th birthday blowout that spreads across the museum campus to encompass new exhibitions, art-infused versions of your favorite games, live music by performers from both near and far, great food, and a world of fun. The day’s events kick off with An Afternoon of Conversation & Song with Annie Lennox at 4pm, a rare solo-acoustic performance to benefit the Annie Lennox Foundation (as well as MASS MoCA’s Fund for New Music).

Comedy by Tony Winner at North West Rep

By: Jack Lyons - Apr 28th, 2019

David Ives won a Tony for the sado/masochistic, dark comedy "Venus in Fur." Although written twenty-six ago, "All in the Timing" features six comedy vignettes that are highly relevant to audiences of 2019. There is no dated material in this cleverly written and sensationally performed production.

Classic Contemporary Opera at Manhattan School of Music

By: Susan Hall - Apr 27th, 2019

Manhattan School of Music mounts a superb production of Tobias Picker's Emmeline this spring. Directed by the gifted Thaddeus Strassberger, the work has been moved into the present and resonates as a universal tale. George Manahan. who conducted the world premiere of the work at Santa Fe Opera over twenty years ago, led the orchestra, revealing all the richness of the score. Young talent created unforgettable characters in this re-telling of a Greek myth.

Directed by Kimberly Senior at LA's Geffen Playhouse

By: Jack Lyons - Apr 27th, 2019

“The Niceties”, a sharp, intelligently written drama by playwright Eleanor Burgess that is smartly and seamlessly directed by seasoned director Kimberly Senior, is currently on stage at the Geffen Playhouse, in Los Angeles. What begins as a polite clash in perspectives in age and place explodes into an urgent debate about race.

Numerous Exhibitions and Publications

By: Charles Giuliano - Apr 25th, 2019

In 1919 Walter Gropius retrofitted the Grand-Ducal Saxon School of Arts and Crafts into what he dubbed Bauhaus. In its centennial year there are global celebrations through media coverage, publications and exhibitions. It has been reported that there are 600 shows in Germany. We have been reading and visiting work on view at the Museum of Fine Arts and some 200 objects from the 50,000 donated through Gropius and others to Harvard University. He joined the Graduate School of Design as its director in 1937.

A Book of Interviews by Marta Gynp

By: Charles Giuliano - Apr 27th, 2019

A book of interviews by Dutch art historian Marta Gynp "You Me and Art: Artists in the 21st Century" is lively, eclectic and informative. Of the twenty individuals she interacts with some are well known and others less so. In several instances what artists had to say about their work changed how I respond to it. In an engaging and familiar manner she was able to get behind the facade to probe intimate thoughts and insecurities. That approach reveals a humanistic view of how work evolves from studios to galleries and museums.

Lisa Yuen Narrates Tale of International Intrigue at Lyric Theater

By: Matt Robinson - Apr 26th, 2019

Lisa Yuen returns to Boston's Lyric Stage performing multiple, male roles in Stephen Sondheim's Pacific Overtures. If you are familiar with the musical expect to see a fresh and accessible revival by director Spiro Veloudos. The production runs from May 10 through June 18.

Broadway Musical Adaptation in Ft. Lauderdale

By: Aaron Krause - Apr 25th, 2019

Anastasia offers eye-popping visuals, soaring music and heartfelt emotion. The projections seem stunningly authentic, yet never get in the way of the emotion or story. This equity production is in South Florida before heading north and then west. Cast and behind-the-scenes artists shine.

North Adams Back on the Chain Gang

Guggenheim Presents Benjamin Staern's Chamber Opera

By: Susan Hall - Apr 23rd, 2019

The Works & Process series at the Guggenheim Museum is full of surprise and delight. The notion that one’s experience of art can be enhanced by music is not new. Yet in the case of Hilma af Klint, the exhibit of whose works has been the sensation of the New York art season, using a chamber opera to take us inside her experience, was enormously helpful for a better understanding of the woman and her work.

Based on the Novel by Margaret Atwood

By: Doug Hall - Apr 24th, 2019

The award winning Hulu production of Margaret Atwood's "The Hanmaid's Tale" will make this Boston Lyric Opera production readily familar to audiences. Composer Poul Ruders’ stunning contemporary score brings this dark social tale to the stage in large-scale, presenting his work with a massive, multi-faceted approach to orchestration. BLO has commissioned Ruders to create a new edition of the opera, bringing an expected orchestra size to approximately 65 players, with a chorus of about 34 singers.

Embracing Modern and Contemporary Art

By: Charles Giuliano - Apr 20th, 2019

Since the 1960s and Perry T. Rathbone I have interviewed every director of the Museum of Fine Arts. Sitting recently with Matthew Teitelbaum was refreshingly different. We were renewing a relationship that started in 1989 when he was a curator for Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art. In 1993 he returned home to become senior curator at Toronto's Art Gallery of Ontario. He became director there before coming to the MFA in 2015 as its eleventh director. While in the thick of staff changes and policy strategies he invites us to evaluate progress over the next five years.

Senior Editor and Art Critic for The Cambridge Phoenix

By: Charles Giuliano - Apr 21st, 2019

Jean Bergantini Grillo was hired as a senior editor and columnist when The Cambridge Phoenix was launched by Jeffrey Tarter on October 9, 1969. She worked with renowned editor Harper Barnes trying to bring shape and coherence to a staff of hippie writers. Today she is writing a play about that era and its macho newsroom. She was one of three women on staff and knew how to use her elbows. She later wrote for The Village Voice, an experience described as chaotic, but loved four years with the Daily News.

Marc Martel to Perform Freddie Mercury Hits

By: BSO - Apr 23rd, 2019

On Thursday, June 27 at 8 p.m., the Boston Pops and special guest Marc Martel join together for a celebration of the legendary rock band Queen. Martel, known for his striking vocal resemblance to Freddie Mercury, Queen’s lead singer, has been fronting Queen's official tribute show, The Queen Extravaganza, since 2011.

Philip Glass, Ellen Reid and Charles Gounod Featured

By: Susan Hall - Apr 21st, 2019

The ONE Festival of Opera Omaha celebrated its 2nd anniversary this year. It has already become a must visit for opera lovers throughout the world. The productions here are first rate. Bringing in James Darrah, who is a director of choice for many of the best young composers, has excited opera fans. This year did not disappoint.

At Steep Theatre in Chicago

By: Nancy Bishop - Apr 21st, 2019

Rita Kalnejais’ play, which premiered in London in 2015, is a gorgeous display of animal choreography, directed by Devon de Mayo. As I watched this zoo-rama of animals scuffle among themselves and fight their antagonists, both animal and humans, I was smitten with the energy and genius of their movements.